Roll top stocking



oct. 13, 1942. E, LOCHHEAD v2,298,708

ROLL TOP sTocKING Filed Oct. 25, 1940 EZ/n Patented Oct. 13, 1942 UNITED STATES `FATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates toV a knitted stocking, and in particular to the construction of an elastic roll top for a stocking to provide a garter and a guide for rolling downward the stocking top.

It has been -customary for women to roll the tops of stockings either above or Ibelow the knee about separate garters, but this practice usually results, when a desired amount of rolling has been accomplished, in the building up of considerable bulk in the roll which shows objectionably through skirts of light weight. There are also on the market stockings provided with elastic tops which tend to lie flat against the leg, and if an attempt is made to roll these, the roll again becomes undesirably large.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a stocking top which is elastic so as to provide a garter action, but which is adapted to form a small tight roll of quite small final diameter even if a considerable portion of the top of a stocking is embodied therein. Specifically, the stocking normally has at its top a tight elastic roll of small diameter extensible so that the stocking may -be readily put on and adapted then to form a guide or base for the rolling of the upper portion of the stocking.

A further specific feature of the invention relates to a construction which provides a roll of uniform and even thickness.

The above and other objects of the invention, i

particularly relating to details', will become apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in.

which Figure 1 is a perspective View' illustrating a stocking embodying the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view ofthe welt thereof; Y

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation showing the roll top in extended condition to illustrate its construction; and

Figure 4 is a diagram of an exterior view of a stocking illustrating certain details of the roll welt and its connection to the uppermost portion the usual shadow welt, indicated at 4, this beup the rear at i9 to form the mock seam.

Referring particularly to Figure 3, the knitting may be started Valong the edge of the top in any conventional fashion, for example, on alternate needles, using elastic yarn alone or elastic yarn in conjunction with inelastic yarn. The roll top after the initial starting course or courses cornprises courses I2 knit in plain fashion. In knitting these courses, however, needles at certain intervals are preferably held down out of action 'so that there occur, running in the direction of the wales, open needle wales of drop stitches constituting what are, in effect, weakened open lines running lengthwise. These Iare indicated at It. As the lower portion of the welt is approached, the needles theretofore out of action may be raised to take the yarn and knit complete plain courses, indicated at 22. The detailed structure involved is most clearly illustrated in the diagram of Figure 4, in which it will be noted that while the specified needles are inactive, iioats I6 extend across their location, while when they be- -come active, the yarn is taken, as indicated at `2li, to form a conventional Wale lcontinuing the ladder or open Wale I4.

Following the completion of the welt, the shadow welt yarn may be introduced to knit one or more plain courses, as indicated at 2li. Thereafter, it is desirable to knit tuck stitches on alternate needles, as indicated at 26, to provide a runresisting region. Thereafter plain knitting is resumed, as indicated at 28, through the remainder of the shadow welt and leg. Designs may, of course, be incorporated in the shadow welt in the usual fashion.

In the knitting of the roll top, elastic yarn is desirably used, this being, for example, lastex or other yarn having substantial elasticity. Preferably, this yarn is knit under tension in such fashion as to secure the result specied hereafter. The open Wales I4 may, in a quite sheer stocking, for example, be spaced so as to occur approximately every fifteenth to twenty-fifth wale. While single open wales are illustrated, they may be grouped to secure any appearance which may be desired. For example, two of such j open wales may be spaced by a conventional wale, and this group of two then spaced from the next group by about twenty wales. Experience has indicated that such spacing of the wales should not be greatly increased if uniform rolling is to be secured. Less spacing of the wales is quite unnecessary so far as useful result is concerned, and if the spacing is too small, the roll top suffers a loss of elasticity in a circumferential direction.

In embodying the invention, for example, to produce quite sheer stockings, the elastic welt in its opened condition, illustrated in Figure 3, but unstretched, may have a width of one to one and one-quarter inches. In such case, the open wales i4 may extend substantially throughthe welt except for six to ten courses 22, indicated in Figure 3 and extending across the construction line break illustrated in Figure 4. The tension in knitting the top may be desirably such that in the nal stocking, if the upper portion of the leg has a diameter of about ten inches, the nal roll, as illustrated at 8 in Figure 2, will have a diameter of about seven inches. The circumferential elasticity in such case will be quite sufcient to open it up to a circumference of about sixteen inches. Under these circumstances, and with the open wales i4 spaced approximately twenty wales apart, there will be obtained a natural roll, as indicated in Figure 2, having a diameter of approximately one-eighth to one-quarter inch. When circumferential stretching occurs, this roll tends to assume even less thickness and forms a convenient and desirable base structure which may be rolled down the stocking to build up a stocking roll of a minimum and unobjectionable thickness.

In the roll naturally assumed, as illustrated in Figure 2, the open wales I4 tend to form apparent ribs, somewhat as indicated in Figure 2.

The particular function of the open wales I4 is to produce what are, in effect, weakened lines running lengthwise of the stocking, which form breaks for the formation of a roll from an extended position of the top such as illustrated in Figure 3. Without these, there is some tendency for the rolling to take place unevenly. With them, however, the stiffness which tends to appear in a tightly knitted elastic region is interrupted so as not to carry from one zone of knitting across the open wale into the next one. Thus the regions between these wales tend to roll independently, with the result of substantial uniformity. While this weakening of Wales at intervals is illustrated as accomplished by a drop stitch or ladder construction, it will be evident that it may be obtained in other fashions, for example, by the production of loose stitches, tuck stitches and floats or the like.

The invention, therefore, is not specifically limited to the use of the particular expedient illustrated herein.

It will be evident, furthermore, that the invention is not limited to plain circular knit hosiery; for example, a circular knit top such as illustrated at 8 and having a tendency to roll outwardly, as illustrated therein, may be topped to a full-fashioned leg, in which the same rolling advantages will be secured. Additionally, the invention is obviously applicable to rib or other stockings.

While specific references to particular dimensions and structural features have been made, it is to be understood that wide variations from these are possible without substantial sacrifice of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A knitted stocking comprising a top knit of elastic yarn, provided with relatively weakened lines extending Wale-wise therein, and having a tendency to roll outwardly to provide a circumferentially extensible ring.

2. A knitted stocking comprising a plain knit top of elastic yarn, provided with relatively weakened lines extending Wale-wise therein, and having a tendency to roll outwardly to provide a circumferentially extensible ring.

3. A knitted stocking comprising a top knit of elastic yarn, provided with open wales, and having a tendency to roll outwardly to provide a circumferentially extensible ring.

4. A knitted stocking comprising a plain knit top of elastic yarn, provided with open wales, and having a tendency to roll outwardly to provide a circumferentially extensible ring.

5. A knitted stocking comprising a top knit of elastic yarn, provided with open wales located at substantially spaced intervals, and having a tendency to roll outwardly to provide a circumferentially extensible ring.

6. A knitted stocking comprising a plain knit top of elastic yarn, provided with open wales located at substantially spaced intervals and having a tendency to roll outwardly to provide a circumferentially extensible ring.

'7. A knitted stocking comprising a top knit of elastic yarn and having a tendency to roll outwardly to provide a circumferentially extensible ring, said top being provided with Wale-wise extending stitch arrangements interrupting the circumferential continuity of the top and providing a substantially uniform roll through the circumference of said ring.

8. A knitted stocking comprising a plain knit top of elastic yarn and having a tendency to roll outwardly and to provide a circumferentially extensible ring, said top being provided with Wale-wise extending stitch arrangements interrupting the circumferential continuity of the top and providing a substantially uniform roll through the circumference of said ring.

ELMER C. LOCHHEAD. 

